You Give You Live, You Don’t Give You Die!

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Feb 12, 2019 No Comments ›› admin

     Sometimes I wonder how the widow of Zarephath felt when Prophet Elijah called out to her, without any introductions, and said: “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink. As she went to get it, he called to her and said, ‘Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand’” (1Kings 17:10c-11). Sometimes I wonder at the audacity of the Prophet. However that is not the point of this discuss, rather what must have been going through the mind of the widow. The Bible says she was by the City Gates gathering wood, which we later learnt she was going to use to make a meal for herself and her son. They would eat the meal then die, not because that was her desire, but that was the only option opened to her! But the Prophet interrupted the plan and said, go prepare the food as you have said, but make mine first, afterwards you make some for yourself and your son! The incredible thing about the narrative was she obeyed without question, and the word of the Prophet came to pass in her life: “So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. She and he and her household ate for many days. The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through Elijah” (1Kings 17:15-16). This shows that faith without obedience is as bad as unbelief!  
     Fast forward to our time, if you were in the widow’s shoes, how would you have reacted to this audacious request? Sadly today, the enemy presents a picture of lack and helplessness to us and we run around trying to make sure we are not down to “a handful of flour in a jar and a bit of oil in a jug”. This fear has driven so many out of the Presence of God into unspeakable acts in order to secure their future. Sadly, no matter how much they amass over the years, it is never enough. It is good to plan for the future, but a plan without God’s direction and leading is a fruitless venture. So many acquired so much wealth, when they needed it most, the wealth failed them: “For wisdom is protection as money is protection, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner” (Ecclesiastes 7:12).  They realized, too late, their wealth do not truly answer all things as it does not preserve the life of its owner. Thank God, the widow had wisdom, so her life and that of her son were preserved! What is the lesson here?        Beloved, how many times have the Lord asked you for your skills, time, strength, influence, platforms and your resources? You claim you do not have enough, but the irony is, even what you hold back is not enough for you when it will truly matter. All that you had amassed over the years, do you know the Lord has the power to turn such into dust and of no use to you: “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared – whose will they be’” (Luke 12:20)? One thing is very clear from the account above, if the widow had refused to give of the little she had stored, she and her son would have certainly died, but because she gave, despite the fact that she doesn’t have much to begin with, she and her son lived. Beloved, so many in the Body of Christ are dying needlessly, spiritually, emotionally and physically because they have refused to release that which is in their hands. This is a call for you to heed the voice of the Lord!        In these evil times, the Lord Jesus Christ is seeking people that will give of their time, skills, strength, influence, platforms and resources to rescue as many from the clutches of the enemy. All the Lord maybe asking of you at this time is to pray, but you prayed once and concluded, ‘the Lord has the power to let His will be done’. True, but He operates by His principles of ASK, that is why He asked you to pray in the first place! “…You, who remind the Lord, no rest for you! Do not give Him rest until He establishes and makes her Jerusalem the praise of the earth” (Isaiah 62: 6b-7). Whatever the Lord may be asking of you at this time, He does not lack it or incapable of doing it Himself, but it is for your own preservation! If you are silent at this time, beloved, it will not stop the move of God in rescuing His people, but it will stop you! God bless you as you reassess your heart and yield fully to the Lord Jesus Christ in all that He requires of you at this time!  

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